Cavaliers at Golden State Warriors

Tipoff: 10:30 p.m. Wednesday at Oracle Arena, Oakland, Calif.

TV/radio: Fox Sports Ohio; WTAM AM/1100.

Notable: The Cavs are playing the third game on a six-game road trip. They are 1-1 so far after two close games, losing at Milwaukee and winning at the Los Angeles Clippers. . . . Against the Clippers on Monday, the Cavs had 12 steals and forced 25 turnovers. . . . The Cavs have lost the past two matchups against the Warriors, including a 105-95 setback in the only meeting last season on Jan. 17 at The Q.

-- Mary Schmitt Boyer

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. — Cavaliers coach Byron Scott and Clippers guard Chris Paul have a well-documented, long-standing friendship dating to their days together in New Orleans. Still, it's unusual for them to have a running conversation during a game.

But Paul took exception to Scott's decision to have Cavs small forward Alonzo Gee guard him during Monday's 108-100 victory against Paul and the Clippers. Paul was expecting to be guarded by fellow point guard Kyrie Irving.

"C.P. was like: 'Take him off me. Why you got him guarding me? Let the young fella guard me,' " Scott said that Paul told him during the game.

"I said, 'Young fella has guarded you.' He said, 'Well, you threw me in the fire, made me guard all those guys.' I said, 'He's guarding you, but we want to give you different looks as well.'

"Obviously, it had a little effect on him. It was good to have that type of communication with him while the game was going on. I think he had respect for 'Zo' [Gee] because he is such a good defender."

Scott has been singing Gee's praises defensively since the start of the season, in large part because he can guard so many different positions. In addition to guarding Paul on Monday, he took on point guard Brandon Jennings and power forward Mike Dunleavy on Saturday in Milwaukee.

"I was telling one of my buddies a little while ago, right now, he's one of the best defensive players in the league," Scott said of Gee. "I truly believe that. We can play him at different positions. We put him on point guards, shooting guards, small forwards -- the Milwaukee game put him on a power forward as well. He is that diverse, where he can guard so many different people."

Gee is averaging 10.5 points, 3.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists, but he admits he's focusing on the defensive end of the floor.

"That's always been my mind-set," he said. "The coaches came to me and talked to me about the defensive end, so I made it my main focus. They want me to do stuff on offense when I can, but my main focus is on the defensive end. I've just got to continue to work at it and get better."

Asked how a 6-6, 219-pound forward can take on guys such as the 6-0 Paul, Gee smiled and said, "Every day after practice, I guard [6-3] Kyrie and [6-4] Dion [Waiters]. We play one-on-one. They prepare me to guard guards like that."

Gee also picks up the point guards full court, making their jobs as tough as possible for the entire length of the floor.

"He makes it tough for you to catch the ball," Scott said. "He doesn't allow you to catch it and bring it up without any pressure on you."

Pressure is nothing new to Gee. The Alabama product has been under it since the Cavs plucked him from the D-League shortly after Christmas two years ago after short stints in Washington and San Antonio. The Cavs worked him out with two other players, but Gee easily earned the spot.

"We put him to work, and it's been a great marriage," Scott said. "The kid has continued to develop, and this year, he's taking it to a different level this early in the season because he really knows what we want from him at both ends of the court. I think he's so comfortable right now and he's so confident, he can just go out there and play."

Of course, Scott said Gee still has more to give.

"Once you're happy with what you've duplicated, then you're at a standstill," the coach said. "Yeah, I expect more. I hope he expects more -- that means he's still trying to grow and get better. When he says he's happy with what he's doing, it's time for us to trade him.

"I think he has a lot more to prove and a lot more improvement left in him, and that's what we expect."

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